Give Thanks To Jehovah For He Is Good
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Posted:Jun 17, 2015 1:53 am
Last Updated:Jun 30, 2015 6:05 am 4799 Views
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Psalm 106:1+2 Praise Jah! Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good;
His loyal love endures forever. Who can fully declare Jehovah’s mighty acts or proclaim all his praiseworthy deeds?
How many individuals do you know whom you would classify as "good"?
True, the word "good" is often used to describe people who stand out in some way.
They may be those who are pleasant, agreeable, honorable, virtuous, loyal, kind, competent, skillful, and so forth.
In fact, the bible tells us that "a good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth."
Proverbs 22:1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth; To be respected is better than silver and gold.
But how many people do you know who match up to the designation "good" as mentioned by the apostle Paul?
Romans 5: 7 For hardly would anyone die for a righteous man; though perhaps for a good man someone may dare to die
Is there a difference between a righteous man and a good man?
Why does Paul appear to contrast them with each other?
Both righteousness and goodness are positive qualities that may seem synonymous.
Yet, they do differ.
A righteous man or woman complies with the laws and requirements of God.
You cannot fault him with regard to keeping his proper obligations.
Such a person is just, impartial, honest and upright.
He is not tainted by wrongdoing or immorality.
Instead, he abides by principle and may even win your respect and admiration.
But does he capture your heart?
The good man does.
He stands out in sharp contrast to a stickler for rules and regulations.
The good man is not just someone who fulfills his obligations out of a sense of duty.
He goes beyond that.
He cares about people and looks for opportunities to express kindness and consideration.
Willingly and eagerly, he comes to the aid of those in real need.
He works unselfishly in behalf of others, not asking for a reward or for special consideration.
The man who is thus self-sacrificing - who is outstandingly warm, loving and merciful - may appeal so much to your heart that, as Paul noted, you may be willing to die for him.
Jesus, though, pointed to an even higher standard.
Although Jesus exemplified all the qualities associated with goodness and knew that he would sacrifice his life to redeem mankind, he did not accept "Good" as a title.
Mark 10:17+18 As he was going on his way, a man ran up and fell on his knees before him and put the question to him: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?” Jesus said to him: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good except one, God
Why was Jesus unwilling to be called "good"?
Because in the fullest sense, only God is good.
Jesus recognized that Jehovah is unique, the ultimate standard of what is good, and that His glory does not belong to anyone else.
Isaiah 42:8 I am Jehovah. That is my name; I give my glory to no one else, Nor my praise to graven images
Unlike Adam and Eve, who sought to assume the right to determine what is good and what is bad, Jesus humbly left that right to his Father.
He knew that Jehovah is the Source of all that is truly good.
James 1:16-18 Do not be misled, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, coming down from the Father of the celestial lights, who does not vary or change like the shifting shadows. It was his will to bring us forth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
An outstanding feature of Jehovah's goodness is His impartiality.
Psalm 145:9 Jehovah is good to all, and his mercy is evident in all his works.
Luke 6:35+36 On the contrary, continue to love your enemies and to do good and to lend without hoping for anything back; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind toward the unthankful and wicked. Continue being merciful, just as your Father is merciful
Matthew 5:44+45 However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good and makes it rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous
Acts 17:24+25 The God who made the world and all the things in it, being, as he is, Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade temples; nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things.
That our welfare and happiness are very important to Jehovah is evident in the way we were created.
Not only do earth's provisions sustain us but they are also appealing and bring us joy.
Acts 14:16+17 In past generations he permitted all the nations to go on in their ways, although he did not leave himself without witness in that he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you with food and filling your hearts with gladness.
Yet, all these things would be temporary and fleeting were it not for another manifestation of Jehovah's goodness - the sacrifice of His only-begotten so that we may enjoy everlasting life.
John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten , so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.
Do you appreciate God's goodness?
If you do, mention it in your prayers.
Show gratitude by the way you live and how you act toward others.
Make your appreciation known in your comments at Christian Meetings and in the Field Ministry.
Now and forever, "give thanks to Jehovah, for He is good."
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This is the introduction to our 2015 "Examining The Scriptures Daily" booklet.
It is such a good explanation of why Jesus said: “Why do you call me good?, that I just had to share it with you.
I hope it lifts your heart the way it did mine.
Yours,
Katidid.
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To What Does The Expression "Bosom Position" Refer?
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Posted:Jun 15, 2015 5:24 pm
Last Updated:Jun 30, 2015 6:04 am 5757 Views
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The Bible says that Jesus is "in the bosom position with the Father."
John 1:18 No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten who is at the Father’s side is the one who has explained Him
(No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten , which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him.-KJV)
This expression refers to the particular closeness and favour that Jesus has with God.
These words allude to the custom that the Jews followed when dining.
In Jesus' day, the Jews reclined on couches arranged around the dinner table.
Each diner's head was positioned toward the table and his feet away from it, while he supported himself on a cushion with his left elbow.
This posture allowed his right arm to remain free.
Since the diners all lay on their left side, one beside the other, "the head of one man was near the breast of the man who lay behind him," explains one source, "and he was, therefore, said 'to lie in the bosom' of the other."
To lie in the bosom of the head of a family or of the host of a feast was considered to be a special honor or privilege.
Hence at Jesus' last Passover, it was "the disciple whom Jesus loved," the apostle John, who lay in Jesus' bosom.
John could thus 'lean back on Jesus' chest' to ask him a question.
John 13:23-25 One of the disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining close to Jesus. Therefore, Simon Peter nodded to this one and said to him: “Tell us whom he is talking about.” So the latter leaned back on the chest of Jesus and said to him: “Lord, who is it?”
John 21:20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, the one who at the evening meal had also leaned back on his chest and said: “Lord, who is the one betraying you?
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Yet another wonderful, wee aid to our understanding of Scripture.
Love,
katidid.
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How Were Handmills Used In Ancient Times?
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Posted:Jun 15, 2015 4:39 pm
Last Updated:Oct 22, 2015 5:11 pm 5791 Views
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Hand mills were used to grind grain into flour to make bread.
Use of such mills was a daily chore for the women or the servants of virtually every household.
The sound of grinding was associated with everyday life in ancient times.
Exodus 11:5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who is sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the slave girl who is working at the hand mill, and every firstborn of the livestock
Jeremiah 25:10 10 I will put an end to the sound of exultation and the sound of rejoicing from them, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the hand mill and the light of the lamp.
Artifacts from ancient Egypt illustrate the process.
Grain was placed on a slightly concave, horizontal stone surface, sometimes called a saddle-quern.
The grinder knelt in front of the fixed quern while grasping with both hands a smaller grinding stone, or rider, which was moved back and forth over the horizontal surface to grind the grain.
According to one source, such riders typically weighed between two and four kilograms.
If used as a weapon, such a stone could be deadly.
Judges 9:50-54 50 Abimelech then went to Thebez; he camped against Thebez and captured it. There was a strong tower in the middle of the city, and all the men and women and all the city leaders fled there. They shut themselves in and climbed onto the roof of the tower. Abimelech made his way to the tower and attacked it. He approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire. Then one of the women dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. He quickly called the attendant bearing his weapons and said to him: “Draw your sword and put me to death, so that they may not say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his attendant ran him through, and he died
Grinding cereals was so essential to a family's well-being that a Biblical law forbade seizure of a millstone as a pledge.
Deuteronomy 24:6 "No one should seize a hand mill or its upper millstone as security for a loan, for that would be taking someone's livelihood as security.
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Gee, girls, how thankful we can be that we do not have to do this job every day.
Thanks be to God for the times we live in, 'ey.
Imagine the job it would be if we had our husband as well as ourselves plus, say, 5 or more !
Considering all the other jobs we would have in the normal course of a day it sure would keep one busy.
Phew!
Yours,
Katidid.
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Keep Seeking Jah's Righteousness
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Posted:Jun 12, 2015 3:40 am
Last Updated:Mar 17, 2020 9:21 am 6575 Views
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Whoever Pursues Righteousness Will Find Life
Righteousness = Uprightness, Honesty and Moral Standing.
Matthew 6:33 Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you
Proverbs 21:21 Whoever pursues righteousness and loyal love Will find life, righteousness, and glory
We need to seek Jehovah's righteousness and not our own
Jehovah God sets the standards not us.
How can we set moral standards that will save us when we are just imperfect mankind steeped in the corruption of satan's rebellion.
Jah's standards put no hardship on us.
Isaiah 48:17 This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel: “I, Jehovah, am your God, The One teaching you to benefit yourself, The One guiding you in the way you should walk
Of ourselves, we cannot handle the knowledge of bad.
We have 6000 years of proof of mans inhumanity to man
Ecclesiastes 8:9 All of this I have seen, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun, during the time that man has dominated man to his harm
Jeremiah 10:23 23 I well know, O Jehovah, that man’s way does not belong to him. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step
Righteousness can also be translated as accurate.
Accuracy = true
Rightly Jehovah tells us to use balanced scales
Leviticus 19:35+36 You must not use dishonest standards in measuring length, weight, or volume. You should use accurate scales, accurate weights, an accurate dry measure, and an accurate liquid measure. I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt
This can also be metaphorical in our day to day dealings with people.
We must be honest in all things.
Remembering that if we are righteous in the small things we will be righteous in the big things.
Imagine if Jehovah used unbalanced scales in His judgements!!!
Can you even imagine that?
No!
God is incapable of telling lies.
He chose that for Himself and never even gives consideration of the bad.
Righteousness, in this satan world, takes effort on our part
We must pursue righteousness.
We need firstly, to cultivate loyal love for God and our reward of peace, happiness and mercy now and salvation and life in the future is like an added bonus to us.
Don't confuse freedom of choice with what is good in God's eyes.
We have the freedom to choose, it is a gift from God, but it behooves us to keep Jehovah's standards in mind when we make decisions.
We want to be approved in God's sight.
How can we apply God's standards to our decision making if we do not put forward the effort to study and learn what those standards are.
We need to be continually learning of Jah so that His standards are 'in our hearts'.
Soaked deep into our very being.
We cannot apply what we do not know.
Isaiah 5:20+21 Woe to those who say that good is bad and bad is good, Those who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, Those who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those wise in their own eyes And discreet in their own sight!
We have to take the stand for what is right by Jah's standards
There is no use twisting issues and justifying ourselves, trying to duck our responsibilities.
What is the point of being materially prosperous but being spiritually bankrupt.
Our struggle in this life to live to Jah's righteousness in not in vain
If we pursue righteousnes we pursue life.
Psalm 37:25-29 I was once young and now I am old, But I have not seen anyone righteous abandoned, Nor his looking for bread. He always lends freely, And his are in line for a blessing. Turn away from bad and do what is good, And you will remain forever. For Jehovah loves justice, And he will not abandon his loyal ones. They will always be guarded; But the descendants of the wicked will be done away with. The righteous will possess the earth, And they will live forever on it.
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Some spiritual 'meat' for digesting.
Yours,
Katidid.
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So, What Is Eden
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Posted:May 19, 2015 1:33 am
Last Updated:May 25, 2015 6:26 am 5754 Views
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EDEN
1. A region in which the Creator planted a garden-like park as the original home of the first human pair. The statement that the garden was “in Eden, toward the east,” apparently indicates that the garden occupied only a portion of the region called Eden. (Ge 2:8 ) However, the garden is thereafter called “the garden of Eden” (Ge 2:15) and, in later texts, is spoken of as “Eden, the garden of God” (Eze 28:13), and as “the garden of Jehovah.”(Isa 51:3).
The Septuagint rendered the Hebrew word for “garden” (gan) by the Greek word pa·ra′dei·sos. To this fact we owe our association of the English word “paradise” with the garden of Eden.
The cultivation and care of the garden was man’s work assignment. Eden’s trees and plants included all those providing scenic beauty as well as those providing food in wide variety. (Ge 2:9, 15) This fact alone would indicate that the garden covered an area of considerable size.
There was also a great variety of animal life in the garden.(Ge 2:19+20) Eden’s soil was watered by the waters of the river “issuing out of Eden.” (Ge 2:10) In view of man’s nakedness it may be assumed that the climate was very mild and agreeable.(Ge 2:25).
The life of the newly created man and woman was simple, not complicated and encumbered with all the complex problems, predicaments, and perplexity that disobedience to God has since brought to the human race.
Adam and Eve’s exercise of their will, as free moral agents, in rebellion against God’s rightful sovereignty led to their loss of Paradise and the blessedness of its confines. Of even graver consequence, they lost the opportunity to partake of another of Eden’s trees, this one representing the right to life everlasting. Thus the account says that Jehovah “drove the man out and posted at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubs and the flaming blade of a sword that was turning itself continually to guard the way to the tree of life.”(Ge 3:22-24)
After Adam’s banishment from the paradisaic garden, with no one to “cultivate it and to take care of it,” it may be assumed that it merely grew up in natural profusion with only the animals to inhabit its confines until it was obliterated by the surging waters of the Flood, its location lost to man except for the divine record of its existence.(Ge 2:15)
What is the Paradise that Jesus promised to the evildoer who died alongside him?
Luke’s account shows that an evildoer, being executed alongside Jesus Christ, spoke words in Jesus’ defense and requested that Jesus remember him when he ‘got into his kingdom.’ Jesus’ reply was: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” (Lu 23:39-43) The punctuation shown in the rendering of these words must, of course, depend on the translator’s understanding of the sense of Jesus’ words, since no punctuation was used in the original Greek text. Punctuation in the modern style did not become common until about the ninth century C.E. Whereas many translations place a comma before the word “today” and thereby give the impression that the evildoer entered Paradise that same day, there is nothing in the rest of the Scriptures to support this. Jesus himself was dead and in the tomb until the third day and was then resurrected as “the firstfruits” of the resurrection. (Ac 10:40; 1Co 15:20; Col 1:18) He ascended to heaven 40 days later.(Joh 20:17; Ac 1:1-3, 9)
As to the identification of the Paradise of which Jesus spoke, it is clearly not synonymous with the heavenly Kingdom of Christ. Earlier that day entry into that heavenly Kingdom had been held out as a prospect for Jesus’ faithful disciples but on the basis of their having ‘stuck with him in his trials,’ something the evildoer had never done, his dying on a stake alongside Jesus being purely for his own criminal acts. (Lu 22:28-30; 23:40, 41) The evildoer obviously had not been “born again,” of water and spirit, which Jesus showed was a prerequisite to entry into the Kingdom of the heavens. (Joh 3:3-6) Nor was the evildoer one of the ‘conquerors’ that the glorified Christ Jesus stated would be with him on his heavenly throne and that have a share in “the first resurrection.”(Re 3:11, 12, 21; 12:10, 11; 14:1-4; 20:4-6)
Prophecies shows that paradise conditions related to the people themselves, not just to the land, who, by faithfulness to God, could now “sprout” and flourish as “trees of righteousness,” enjoying beautiful spiritual prosperity like a “well-watered garden,” showered by bounteous blessings from God because of having his favor. (Isa 58:11; 61:3, 11; Jer 31:12; 32:41; compare Ps 1:3; 72:3, 6-8, 16; 85:10-13; Isa 44:3, 4.)
Revelation 2: 7 mentions a “tree of life” in “the paradise of God” and that eating from it would be the privilege of the one “that conquers.” Since other promises given in this section of Revelation to such conquering ones clearly relate to their gaining a heavenly inheritance (Re 2:26-28; 3:12, 21) it seems evident that “the paradise of God” in this case is a heavenly one.
It is further evident, however, that the restoration prophecies recorded by the Hebrew prophets include elements that will also find a physical fulfillment in the restored earthly Paradise. There are features, for example, in Isaiah 35:1-7, such as the healing of the blind and the lame, that did not have a literal fulfillment following the restoration from ancient Babylon, nor are they fulfilled in such a manner in the Christian spiritual paradise. It would be inconsistent for God to inspire such prophecies as those of Isaiah 11:6-9, Ezekiel 34:25, and Hosea 2:18, with the intention that they have only a figurative or spiritual meaning, without having a literal fulfillment of these things in the physical experiences of God’s servants.
The original Paradise for mankind was on earth. God has clearly designated the earth as the permanent home for humans. The Bible says that God made our planet to last forever. (Psalm 104:5) It also states: “To Jehovah the heavens belong, but the earth he has given to the sons of men.”(Psalm 115:16)
It is not surprising, then, that the Bible holds out the promise of Paradise on earth. In it, God will bless mankind with everlasting life. Harmony and peace will prevail. Pain and suffering will be gone. And people will be able to enjoy to the full the natural wonders of planet earth.(Isaiah 65:21-23).
This is a wonderful subject to study and meditate.
This is but a summary of the whole article and I hope you enjoy looking up the Scriptures and thinking on things.
I posted this to Teddy's question in the blogs but thought I would post it as a separate blog since it is such a lovely subject and so very inspiring.
Yours,
Katidid.
Further references for Eden are:
2. A place mentioned along with Haran and Canneh as a principal trading center with Tyre, specializing in fine garments, carpets, and rope. (Eze 27:23, 24) It is suggested to be an abbreviated form of the name Beth-eden referred to at Amos 1:5. “The sons of Eden” are included among other inhabitants of places that were vanquished by the Assyrian forces (2Ki 19:12; Isa 37:12), and some consider this Eden (Betheden) to be the small district of Bitadini along the middle course of the Euphrates River.
3. One of the Levites who responded to King Hezekiah’s call for reform; thereafter assigned to work under Kore, “the gatekeeper to the east,” in the distribution of the holy contributions among the priestly divisions.(2Ch 29:12; 31:14, 15)
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Post Denied
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Posted:May 18, 2015 4:10 pm
Last Updated:Dec 5, 2017 4:48 am 6414 Views
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Hmmmm,...I recently had a post denied because of 'hate, weapons and '.
Rather odd, since I just posted a Scriptural path and quoted only Scriptures.
So, if you are interested, you are most welcome to check out my blog.
Yours,
Katidid.
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IMITATE JESUS!
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Posted:May 18, 2015 4:06 pm
Last Updated:Mar 17, 2020 9:21 am 6920 Views
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2015 Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Throughout the summer and continuing through January 2016, Jehovah’s Witnesses will hold some 5,000 “Imitate Jesus!” Conventions in 92 lands. The program, arranged by the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, will be presented in whole or in part in 347 languages, including 55 sign languages.
We warmly invite you to attend this year’s three-day convention presented by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
HIGHLIGHTS
A moving two-part theatrical production will portray significant events in Jesus’ life.
Interviews and demonstrations will feature practical ways to imitate Jesus today.
The special Bible discourse entitled “Jesus Christ, World Conqueror—How and When?” will be presented on Sunday morning.
WHO MAY ATTEND?
Everyone.
You won’t be charged admission, and no collection will be taken.
You can easily find your nearest convention site anywhere in the world by going onto the site where you see an icon by this invitation name.
Such joy and love will surround you.
Love Katidid.
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Your Future - How Can It Be Known
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Posted:May 11, 2015 6:37 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2015 3:35 pm 5067 Views
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If we knew what was going to happen in the future it would effect what we do now would it not?
So how can we know the future?
Should we look into a glass ball?
Or perhaps have our palm read?
Maybe go to a seer?
No!
If we want to know our future we must look in Jehovah God's direction.
He and He alone knows and tells us what it to happen in the near future.
Only His Word, the Bible, can tell us.
And, we need to benefit from what we learn now!
Isaiah 48:17+18 This is what Jehovah has said, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk. Oh if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments
Why did Jehovah give Daniel the dream and the interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar?
It was because Daniel was a loyal and faithful servant.
Knowledge belongs to Jehovah God and He alone chooses to whom He will give understanding to.
Daniel 2:19-21 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision at night. So Daniel praised the God of heaven. Daniel declared: “Let the name of God be praised for all eternity, For wisdom and mightiness are his alone. He changes times and seasons, Removes kings and sets up kings, Gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those with discernment
Happily, He has chosen to reveal it to His Chosen People in these 'final part of days.'
Daniel 2:27+28 Daniel replied to the king: “None of the wise men, conjurers, magic-practicing priests, or astrologers are able to tell the king the secret that he is asking but there is a God in the heavens who is a Revealer of secrets, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what is to happen in the final part of the days. This is your dream, and these are the visions of your head as you lay on your bed:
Nebuchadnezzar could rightly be called the 'head of gold' because he represented the Babylonian government of the day.
Daniel 2:31+32a “You, O king, were watching, and you saw an immense image. That image, which was huge and extremely bright, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying. The head of that image was of fine gold,
The image represented all the world powers that have directly effected God's Chosen people, i.e., Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome & The Anglo-American Alliance.
At one time 1/4 of the entire earth was under British control and the Anglo-American Alliance has effectively foisted their ideas and ideologies onto the nations of the world, although, their power has been and is being undermined from within and without and this is weakening their 'iron-like' grip on the world.
Daniel 2:32b its chest and its arms were of silver, its abdomen and its thighs were of copper, its legs were of iron, and its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay.
Wonderfully, God's Kingdom is to fill and rule the whole of humankind on earth for all eternity. God will never again have to endure the slandering of His great name or any challenge to His sovereignty.
Daniel 2:34+35 You looked on until a stone was cut out, not by hands, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and of clay and crushed them. At that time the iron, the clay, the copper, the silver, and the gold were, all together, crushed and became like the chaff from the summer threshing floor, and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a large mountain, and it filled the whole earth.
Daniel 2:44+45 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. And this kingdom will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it alone will stand forever, just as you saw that out of the mountain a stone was cut not by hands, and that it crushed the iron, the copper, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The Grand God has made known to the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
What will it be like under the Kingdom rulership?
One language; - God's People already speak the universal language of love but in the future we will speak one God given language so there will be no barriers to communication.
Unified mankind; - all loving and worshipping the One, True, Living God, Jehovah.
Abundant food supplies; - the earth will blossom and become a paradise just as God originally intended.
No hatred; - satan's influence will be gone.
Happy homes; - we will not have to build and work for other people as slaves or for wages.
Perfect health. - perfect eyesight - no more glasses or contact lenses or blindness, perfect hearing - no more hearing aids or implants, strong legs- no more limps or walkers or canes or crutches, strong hips - no more backache or sciatica or curvatures, etc.
More wonderfully, we will live with the knowledge of the true God.
With The Christ as King of God's Kingdom we will live as if in His presence.
Will we ever 'see' God literally?
Revelations 21:3+4 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them
No. God cannot live inside His creation. He is far too powerful. We would not survive it.
What this verse means is that we will all 'know Him' in that we will all have learned from Him by His Word and revelation.
God's 'tent' represents His protection and loving rule.
John 1:18 No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten god who is at the Father’s side is the one who has explained Him.
We can be so burdened by the problems that this world presents and by our imperfections that it can be hard to look ahead to our world being ruled by Jesus as God's King but God wants us to make it on the 'narrow road' to the new world.
John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten , so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life
Just see yourself, just see me too;
Just see us all in a world that is new.
Think how you'll feel, how it will be,
To live in peace, to be truly free.
No evil one will then prevail;
Rule by our God cannot ever fail.
The time will have come for a new earthly start,
The song of our praises will pour out from our heart:
Now see yourself, and see me too;
And look ahead to a world that is new.
No sight we see, no sound we hear,
Will cause alarm or give rise to fear.
All has come true, just as He said;
Now over mankind His tent is spread.
He now shall awaken those sleeping in death;
Their voices will join us with every grateful breath:
Jehovah our God, how well you have done!
All things are new by the rule of your .
The fullness of our heart overflows in our song;
All glory and honor and praise to you belong.
We need to look ahead.
God has shown us the future.
It is no mystery.
The precedence will have been set and God's name will have been vindicated.
There will be no satan influence ever again!
Imagine if you will,....no death notices.
Maybe instead......resurrection notices.
Miracles galore every day as loved ones and peoples' of all the world's ages are resurrected to have the chance of learning about Jehovah God and His love.
Miracles galore as the earth is restored to the paradise that God always purposed for us!
Wow!
With God's Kingdom Government Seat in Heaven, with the members of that Government being superhuman in their powers and abilities to carry out God's purpose.....we can only guess and poorly imagine how God will restore and clean up the earth but thinking on it truly helps us to keep on the 'narrow road'.
Unhappily, most people don't even know that God has a purpose for the earth and for mankind which is one of the reason that professing the Good News is not just important but now urgent.
God's purpose hasn't changed.
From the beginning of His creation He has wanted us to live in a paradise and have endless, happy and fulfilling life.
True, His purpose had to be amended after the devastating sin perpetrated in Eden but, never-the-less, His purpose has not changed.
He purposes that all loyal humankind will live in happiness in harmony with Him.
You too can know and be a part of the future.
Benefit yourself and learn the Truth of the Scriptures which will bring a measure of happiness and certain joy now and a wonderful, blessed future shared with a loving, caring, joyous, united family of Jehovah God's Chosen People.
Love Katidid.
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What Is Behind The Spirit Of Rebellion
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Posted:May 3, 2015 7:07 pm
Last Updated:May 18, 2015 8:24 pm 5044 Views
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Rebellion - Protest, Mutiny, Revolution, Subversion, Terrorism
We don't have to listen to the daily news for very long on any given day to hear of many instances of rebellion, in one form or another, in the world today.
It is increasing exponentially as we get near to Jehovah's Great Day.
There have been many major instances in the world.
We also face many minor instances in our daily lives - in our families, our work places, in schools etc....
Is Rebellion The Answer?
History repeatedly shows us the answer.
Beginning with the first rebellion we can see that rebellion never improves 'our lot' -
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?”
Casting doubt.
Genesis 3:2+3 At this the woman said to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden but God has said about the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden: ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it; otherwise you will die.’”
Statement of fact.
Genesis 3:4 At this the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die.
The challenge.
Genesis 3:5 For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.”
The lie - saying that God was withholding something good.
Genesis 3:6 Consequently, the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something desirable to the eyes, yes, the tree was pleasing to look at. So she began taking of its fruit and eating it.
Successful deceit - appealing to selfish desire.
We can clearly see the outcome of rebellion -
Genesis 3: 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made loin coverings for themselves
Shame.
Genesis 3:12 The man said: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate.”
Blame - even blaming God!
Genesis 3:13 Jehovah God then said to the woman: “What is this you have done?” The woman replied: “The serpent deceived me, so I ate.”
Justification.
Genesis 3:16-19 To the woman he said: “I will greatly increase the pain of your pregnancy; in pain you will give birth to , and your longing will be for your husband, and he will dominate you.”
And to Adam he said: “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree concerning which I gave you this command, ‘You must not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground on your account. In pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, and you must eat the vegetation of the field. In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.”
The consequence.
Unhappily, Eve rebelled against Adam's headship over her and both Adam and Eve rebelled against Jehovah God's headship over His creation.
We well know the outcome of that horrible day.
1John 5:19 We know that we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.
Ephesians 2:2 in which you at one time walked according to the system of things of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.
The earth has become to us like a confined space which has accumulated the poisoned gas of satan's spirit.
If poison gas was in the air around us we would suddenly think about every breath we took.
Likewise, it should be so with every breath of spirit that we take.
Are we breathing in the spirit of God or of satan?
The poison air of satan's spirit in this system(world) promotes rebellion against God's right of sovereign rulership.
Even more so when we allow the world's desires to come first in our lives as opposed to God's standards and principles.
James 1:14+15 But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn sin, when it has been carried out, brings forth death.
1John 2:16+17 because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire.
Such poison air overtakes our clear thinking and reasonableness.
James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, not hypocritical
Philippians 4:5 Let your reasonableness become known to all men.
Titus 3:1+2 Continue reminding them to be in subjection and to be obedient to governments and authorities, to be ready for every good work, to speak injuriously of no one, not to be quarrelsome, but to be reasonable, displaying all mildness toward all men
Mankind does not want to be told what to do by anyone, especially by God!
The 'spirit of the air now operating in the sons of man' promotes situations such as against parents, husbands against wives and wives against husbands, people against economic imbalance and political injustice, organizations against damage to the ecology, mankind against Jehovah God and religion against truth.
Motives can seem to be right and to be sincere but often it is selfishness and pride that is really involved.
Korah is a prime example of this. He rebelled against God's appointed leadership under Moses and Aaron because he desired to have a more prestigious position amoung the people.
Numbers 16:1+2 Then Korah the of Izhar, the of Kohath, the of Le′vi, got up together with Dathan and Abiram the sons of E·liab, and On the of Peleth, of the sons of Reuben. They rose up against Moses along with 250 Israelite men, chieftains of the assembly, chosen ones of the congregation, prominent men.
We need to put our trust fully in Jehovah God's sovereignty and not in mankind's fickle leadership.
Psalm 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes nor in a of man, who cannot bring salvation
Proverbs 24:21+22 My , fear Jehovah and the king(earthly authorities) and do not associate with dissenters, for their disaster will arise suddenly. Who knows what ruin both will bring upon them?
Justice and the solution to all mankind's problems belongs only to Jah and His Kingdom.
His Kingdom is real!
It is loving, peaceful, unifying, effective and stable.
With Jesus as the King of the Kingdom, established in the Heavens since 1914, we have available to us an education system surpassed by none.
Such Bible based education allows us to leave behind the poison air of satan's rebellion and his worldly way of life, transforming us by God's standards, principles and truths, bringing together in impartiality, peoples' of all nations, ethnic backgrounds and cultural groups into one united, loving family ruled by Jehovah God.
The Israel of God.
All things that abound in satan's worldly system such as racism, hatred, materialism, war, greed, unruliness and rebellion are overcome in God's Kingdom which is alive today and exerting power by the Word found in Jehovah's personal letter to us all, the Bible.
Hebrews 4:11-13 Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall into the same pattern of disobedience. For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart and there is not a creation that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and openly exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we must give an account.
Truly, it can be said that 'many are roving about' with God's Kingdom now being made up of 8,000,000+ zealous proclaimers today.
Daniel 12:4 “As for you, Daniel, keep the words secret, and seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rove about, and the true knowledge will become abundant
More importantly it can truly be said that 'many are roving about' in The Book, examining it for the truth of Scripture and that by God's light truth is now being brought into the open.
No longer kept in the dark by the false doctrine of men wanting to keep the glory of this world's 'air' for themselves.
God Himself tells us that to rebel against the earthly authorities is to actually rebel against Him because although we live in a system ruled by satan, still God is the rightful, sovereign ruler of all, and He alone guides His purpose to clear His great name of all derision and slander.
Part of that purpose are governments and authorities to act as a bulwark for us against the wickedness in this system.
Romans 13:1+7 Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. Therefore, whoever opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will bring judgment against themselves. For those rulers are an object of fear, not to the good deed, but to the bad. Do you want to be free of fear of the authority? Keep doing good, and you will have praise from it; for it is God’s minister to you for your good. But if you are doing what is bad, be in fear, for it is not without purpose that it bears the sword. It is God’s minister, an avenger to express wrath against the one practicing what is bad. There is therefore compelling reason for you to be in subjection, not only on account of that wrath but also on account of your conscience. That is why you are also paying taxes; for they are God’s public servants constantly serving this very purpose. Render to all their dues: to the one who calls for the tax, the tax; to the one who calls for the tribute, the tribute; to the one who calls for fear, such fear; to the one who calls for honor, such honor.
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So much to meditate upon.
Please give great thought to your position as the stream of time approaches nearer and nearer to the end of this lousy satan system leading us to the Great Day of Jehovah God when all will know that His name is Jehovah.
Zechariah 14:9 And Jehovah will be King over all the earth. In that day Jehovah will be one, and his name one.
2Corinthians 6:2 For he says: “In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you.” Look! Now is the especially acceptable time. Look! Now is the day of salvation.
Zephaniah 2: 2+3 Before the decree takes effect, Before the day passes by like chaff, Before the burning anger of Jehovah comes upon you, Before the day of Jehovah’s anger comes upon you, Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, Who observe his righteous decrees. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably you will be concealed on the day of Jehovah’s anger.
In love,
Katidid.
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His Day Is Fast Approaching
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Posted:Apr 21, 2015 6:05 am
Last Updated:Mar 17, 2020 9:23 am 5758 Views
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So many in the future will be utterly desperate.
We are seeing the desperation in the world now.
It will get far worse.
We've all heard the story of the man who cut off his arm to save his life.
A really desperate act.
No one really wants to die.
God has inbuilt into us the will to live.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has even put eternity in their heart; yet mankind will never find out the work that the true God has made from start to finish.
Yet, as we know, many reject God, like Adam, wanting only to be their own god.
1Corinthians 1:19 For it is written: “I will make the wisdom of the wise men perish, and the intelligence of the intellectuals I will reject
Calling on human governments won't help.
Revelation 6:16 And they keep saying to the mountains and to the rocks: “Fall over us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb
How often have you said, or heard it said, "I am a good person" or "They are a good person".
More often than not the definition of a 'good person' is measured by worldly and imperfect human standards and not by God's standards.
Is being a good person enough?
No!
Ezekiel 7:3 The end is now upon you, and I will unleash my anger against you, and I will judge you according to your ways and call you to account for all your detestable deeds
1Samuel 16: 7 But Jehovah said to Samuel: “Do not pay attention to his appearance and how tall he is, for I have rejected him. For the way man sees is not the way God sees, because mere man sees what appears to the eyes, but Jehovah sees into the heart
Anyone can say, "I believe in God".
Anyone can say, "I believe in Jesus."
Even the demons know who God is.
Even the demons know who Jesus is.
However, believing and doing are two very different things.
Exodus 34:14 You must not bow down to another god, for Jehovah is known for requiring exclusive devotion. Yes, he is a God who requires exclusive devotion
Matthew 28:19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you
If God destroyed His own claimed nation, Israel, for idol worship, how much more so, in these last days, will He destroy those not obeying His commands, when people worship anything but God!?
Ezekiel 8:10-12 So I went in and looked, and I saw all sorts of images of creeping things and loathsome beasts and all the disgusting idols of the house of Israel; they were carved on the wall all around. And 70 of the elders of the house of Israel were standing before them, with Jaazaniah the of Shaphan standing among them. Each one had his censer in his hand, and the perfumed cloud of incense was ascending. He said to me: “ of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each one in the inner rooms where his idols are displayed? For they are saying, ‘Jehovah is not seeing us. Jehovah has left the land.’
In these days this ties in with the 'God is dead' attitude and the belief in evolution and the superiority of 'mother nature'.
Ezekiel 8:14-18 So he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of Jehovah, and there I saw women sitting and weeping over the god Tammuz. And he further said to me: “Do you see this, O of man? You will see detestable things that are even more terrible that are worse than these.” So he brought me to the inner courtyard of the house of Jehovah. There at the entrance of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, were about men with their backs to the temple of Jehovah and their faces to the east; they were bowing down to the sun in the east. He said to me: “ of man, do you see this? Is it a trivial thing for the house of Judah to do these detestable things, to fill the land with violence and keep offending me? Here they are thrusting out the branch to my nose. So I will act in rage. My eye will not feel sorry; nor will I feel compassion. Even though they cry out loudly in my ears, I will not hear them.”
We need to keep God's view in mind.
Keep God's standards and principles working in our lives.
If we are to reach the reward of salvation and everlasting life.
Another modern day idol is scientific thinking.
People look to it to solve all the answers, but can it, in the hands of man, give us anything but corruption and pollution?
Many scientist acknowledge, for e.g., that the theory of evolution is defunct, proven nothing more than a theory full of holes and inconsistencies.
They even acknowledge the hand of a powerful maker but still they will not acknowledge Jehovah God as that maker!
Still, turning their backs to God and encouraging others to do the same.
It is all immorality.
Immorality is not just indecency of the body but also of the mind.
More than knowledge is needed.
Dedication is the evidence of wanting to do things Jehovah God's way.
God's qualities in our lives, the fruitage of the spirit, proves to others that we are different.
We behave differently to the world of satan when we have God's qualities, standards and principles alive and working in our lives.
Ezekiel 9:1 He then called out in my ears with a loud voice, saying: “Summon those who will bring punishment on the city, each one with his weapon for destruction in his hand!”
Ezekiel 9:4 Jehovah said to him: “Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and groaning over all the detestable things that are being done in the city
Ezekiel 9:9+10 So he said to me: “The error of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great. The land is filled with bloodshed, and the city is full of corruption. For they say, ‘Jehovah has left the land, and Jehovah is not seeing.’ But as for me, my eye will not feel sorry; nor will I show compassion. The consequences of their way I will bring down on their own head.”
We want God's mark of approval on our foreheads not in pencil but in indelible ink!
Yours,
Katidid.
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